Tag: Ty Montgomery

Remaining April free agents left for Bills to consider

Could there be any players still available that could interest the Bills? There certainly are. 

Most attention has turned to the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft at the end of April. But that doesn’t mean the free agent market has closed.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane recently spoke to reporters and admitted much of his attention is now on rookies. However, he also said that the young prospects don’t have his full attention. He’ll be sure to keep an eye on the open market, too.

Could there be any players still available that could interest the Bills? There certainly are.

Here are 10 players still on the open market for the Bills to consider:

Devonta Freeman #24 of the Atlanta Falcons. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

RB Devonta Freeman

Age: 28

This connection between the Bills and Devonta Freeman have been made since before he was even cut by the Falcons this offseason.

Freeman could provide a complement to Devin Singeltary as a pass-catching option. He caught 59 catches in 2019 with the Falcons and 257 in his career, including 73 in the 2015 season. But by most accounts, Freeman took a step back last season. He only averaged 3.6 yards per carry last year, a career-low, but overall, Freeman is at 4.2 yards per carry for his career.

Still, Freeman could be a low-cost option to pair up with Singletary in Buffalo’s backfield. However, he’s not an overly-large player that would mix well with Singletary’s smaller, shifty game with the Bills and he’s not much of a special teams guy like TJ Yeldon would be. Overall as a back, Freeman has certainly had more success than Yeldon in his career, though.

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Top free agent targets still available for the Bills

NFL free agency officially opened on Wednesday, but since the tampering period began on Monday, boy have the Buffalo Bills been busy. 

NFL free agency officially opened on Wednesday, but since the tampering period began on Monday, boy have the Buffalo Bills been busy.

Through signings, the like of Mario Addison, AJ Klein and others have joined the Bills. However, Buffalo’s biggest splash was receiver Stefon Diggs, who joins the Bills via a trade involving the Vikings.

While that “first wave” of free agency is now behind us, there’s still plenty of names available for the Bills to consider.

Here’s a rundown of 12 players that Bills could consider adding still:

Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman. Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

WR Breshad Perriman

Age: 26

At one point, Breshad Perriman could’ve been thought of as a bigger-named free agent for the Bills or other NFL teams to acquire. But it appears they didn’t take the bait.

As a former first-round pick, his rookie season was derailed by injury with the Ravens and then he had three-straight disappointing campaigns that followed. In 2019, his fortunes changed. As that season went on for the Buccaneers, he saw more and more playing time. Perriman turned into a vertical threat last season as he notched 36 catches, 645 yards and six touchdowns, all career-highs. His final three-game stretch, one which saw him grab 17 catches for 349 yards with four touchdowns, could’ve been a tempting thing for a team to acquire.

Instead, he’s still out there, and at 6-foot-2, could be that bigger, deep-threat addition the Bills could add. Price tag coming down, it appears.

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12 under-the-radar free agents for the Bills to target on offense

The NFL’s free agency period is slated to open on March 18 and the Buffalo Bills could be in business. The Bills signed cornerback Josh Norman last week, getting a head start on things.

The NFL’s free agency period is slated to open on March 18 and the Buffalo Bills could be in business. The Bills signed cornerback Josh Norman last week, getting a head start on things.

But despite that signing, the Bills moved from just the fourth-most to fifth-most salary cap space in the league, near $77.4 million, according to Spotrac. That’s a lot of room for more moves, and of course, room for big-named additions.

But in recent years, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have had a thing for finding diamonds in the rough. Could the 2020 offseason have more of the same?

With that, here are 12 under-the-radar free agents on offense the Bills could consider adding:

Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

WR Demarcus Robinson

The Bills have John Brown and Cole Beasley who are solid, but the talent that Demarcus Robinson was behind with the Chiefs has kept his opportunities very limited. At receiver, there’s Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman, then there’s tight end Travis Kelce, who’s basically a No. 1 wideout.

But when Robinson did get some chances when Hill was out, he showed some skill. He caught 32 passes for 449 yards and four touchdowns last season. What could make him further appealing is his 14 yards-per-catch average last season. Over the past two seasons, he’s had eight total scores.

What many peg for the Bills is adding a wideout with size, though. Robinson isn’t overly big at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, but stretching the field is a plus with quarterback Josh Allen’s arm strength.

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Should the Jets target former Patriots and Titans RB Dion Lewis?

The Jets need help in the backfield but veteran pass-catching running back Dion Lewis isn’t the answer.

Le’Veon Bell will see the lion’s share of touches for the Jets in 2020 but that doesn’t mean the team shouldn’t look for backup options for him.

Bell wore down late in the 2019 season, which forced the Jets to lean more on players like Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery. However, it appears unlikely that either backup running back will return to New York in 2020.

One player who just hit the open market who could fill in for Bell is Dion Lewis. The Titans released Lewis after two mediocre seasons in Tennessee and the emergence of Derrick Henry as a feature running back. Lewis will be 30 by the time the 2020 season starts, but his skill set as a pass-catcher could be useful in the Jets offense. 

Adam Gase likes running backs who can catch. He’s typically employed at least one in his offense since he was the Broncos offensive coordinator in 2013. Players like Knowshon Moreno in Denver, Matt Forte in Chicago and Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams in Miami enjoyed solid receiving years as running backs under Gase. Bell is already one of the better dual-threat rushers in the game, so it would make sense to double up similar styles of play. 

The problem with Lewis besides his age is his production and size. Not only is he one of the smaller running backs in the league at 5-foot-8 and 197 pounds, but he also wasn’t nearly as effective in 2019 as he was in years prior. 

Lewis saw his production drop significantly just a year after wracking up 1,100 combined yards and nine touchdowns on 212 touches with the Patriots in 2017. After he signed a four-year, $19.8 million deal with the Titans in 2018, Lewis tallied only 917 yards and two touchdowns with almost double the snap shares. His yards per rush also dropped from 5.0 to 3.3 despite 25 fewer attempts. Things only got worse in 2019 when he finished with  373 yards and one touchdown on only 79 touches. 

Lewis actually saw an uptick in production when Ryan Tannehill took over midway through the 2019 season, so he can’t blame seasonal fatigue or a quarterback change on his bad season. His usage went up from 4.1 touches per game from Week 1-10 to 6.3 touches from Week 12-16.

The Jets are in the market for a backup running back if they don’t keep Powell or Montgomery. Only Josh Adams and Trenton Cannon are under contract behind Bell and neither inspire confidence if Bell needs a break. Lewis could be a quality role player on the Jets but doesn’t make much sense to sign considering his limited usage potential, though. He saw a slightly higher snap share in 2019 compared to Powell and Montgomery, but Lewis’  DYAR – Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement –  fell slightly lower than Powell. That means, while Powell may have played fewer snaps and tallied fewer stats, he was a better runner than Lewis in 2019. 

If the Jets are unafraid to sign an aging backup, they’d be better off keeping Powell around another year. Otherwise, they could be better off finding a more talented backup pass-catching running back either in the draft or elsewhere.

5 backup running backs the Jets should target in free agency

Jets Wire takes a look at five running backs the Jets should target in free agency this offseason.

In 2019, the Jets ranked fourth in the NFL behind the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots in terms of running back spending by cap dollars. New York allocated over $10 million to five different backs.

Now, with Le’Veon Bell’s at the top of the depth chart, New York ranks only second to Los Angeles in spending by cap dollars at the position. Gang Green will be searching for a backup to its All-Pro back, as Ty Montgomery was ineffective in limited use and Bilal Powell is getting up there in age.

Jalin Moore, an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, Josh Adams, Trenton Cannon and Kenneth Dixon still remain on the roster, but none of them have proven they can be a legitimate option behind Bell. The Jets need experience there, and free agency is the best place to find it.

With that said, here are five backup running backs the Jets should target in free agency.

Jordan Howard

(Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)

When healthy, Jordan Howard was the perfect complement to Eagles rookie Miles Sanders.

Joe Douglas was part of the Chicago Bears personnel department that took Howard in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Douglas was then with the Philadelphia front office that sent a sixth-round pick to Chicago for Howard. If nothing else, the connections to Howard are there.

Howard appeared in 10 games and recorded 525 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in 2019. He missed six games after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 9. 

Howard is by no means flashy and won’t get any premier offers to be a team’s No. 1 back, but he’s proven to be a perfect complementary piece. He would pair excellently with Le’Veon Bell. The problem the Jets face is if Howard is willing to see a decrease in snaps due to Bell’s workhorse nature. That remains to be seen, but the Jets should definitely attempt to court Howard in free agency regardless.

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Jets ranked 8th in special teams in 2019 despite key losses

The Jets special teams unit played well thanks to solid kick return and kick coverage play by Brant Boyer’s squad.

Believe it or not, the Jets ranked in the top-10 in something in 2019.

During a season of mediocrity, the Jets special teams unit once again proved to be one of the team’s best assets. Brant Boyer’s unit finished No. 8 in Rick Gosselin’s special teams ranking report. 

Gosselin, a 47-year vet on the NFL beat and a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee, compiled 22 categories surrounding special teams to create a list of the league’s best. The Jets ranked eighth overall thanks to top-three finishes in punt return yards (second, 11.6), yards allowed per kickoff (third, 19.0), yards allowed per punt (third, 43.67), and net yards allowed per punt (third, 38.8) despite a lot of turnover on the unit.

When the Jets elected to let Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers and return specialist Andre Roberts leave in free agency, many believed the special teams would suffer mightily after finishing first in the NFL in 2018. But Boyer persisted and told his team back in June that there would be “no steps back.” 

“It’s a tough situation,” Boyer said last offseason. “Those guys were awesome for us… You gain players every year, you lose players every year. And, is it hard to replace guys like that? It sure is. I’m confident that somebody will emerge and we can get that done.”

General manager Joe Douglas found his punt returner replacement quickly when he claimed former Patriots wideout Braxton Berrios, off waivers soon after joining the Jets. Berrios returned all 21 punts for the Jets this season and finished second in the league in average punt return yards.

As for his kick returners, duties were split between backup running back Ty Montgomery and wide receiver Vyncint Smith. The duo performed well enough – Montgomery averaged 20.2 yards per return and Smith averaged 29.9 yards per return. Second-year running back Trenton Cannon appeared in line for the majority of returns, but he landed on injured reserve after Week 7.

Where the Jets faltered in the rankings was their kicking and punting. They cycled through a few kickers before sticking with Sam Ficken, who only hit 19 of 27 field goals (70.4 percent), 23 of 26 of his extra points (88.5 percent) and ranked 39th in average kickoff yards. Punter Lac Edwards, meanwhile, ranked 15th in average punt yards (45.9) despite leading the league in punts (87) and total punt yards (3,991).

It’s hard to replicate the success of Myers, Roberts and the 2018 team, but Boyer did an admirable job coaching a unit that no one thought could maintain its excellence. There was bound to be a drop off in production when you lose a top-six kicker and the top return specialist and the Jets saved around $15 million by not re-signing their Pro Bowl special teams pair.

The Jets still need to solve the kicker issue for the longterm, but the rest of the unit seems sound heading into the 2020 season.

Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with RB Ty Montgomery?

Jets Wire takes a look at whether or not New York should bring back cornerback and impending free-agent running back Ty Montgomery?

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans to target in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep others around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.

Ty Montgomery was somewhat of an enigma for New York in 2019. He impressed throughout the preseason, but was seldom used by Adam Gase in the regular season. Is he worth keeping around for another season considering what transpired in 2019? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of keeping him

Forget about Montgomery’s role with the Jets in 2019 for a second. He turns 27 in January and still has a lot of good football left ahead of him, not to mention his versatile skillset can still play in Gase’s offense.

Montgomery’s ability to run between the tackles, catch passes and return kicks holds value. He wouldn’t have the biggest role in 2020, but it’s hard to imagine he gets phased out again considering what he brings to the table.

Cons of keeping him

Considering how little he was used in 2019, it’s worth wondering what exactly the point would be in keeping Montgomery around for another season.

If he could barely crack New York’s lineup last season, why would anything change in that regard in 2020? The Jets can find a backup running back Gase actually wants to use at a much cheaper rate. Plus, it’s hard to see Montgomery wanting to come back himself.

The verdict

This is one of the easier calls Douglas has to make this offseason. For whatever reason, Montgomery simply did not do enough to warrant playing time in 2019. It’s hard to see that changing next season.

Montgomery’s skill set could be of value to the Jets from the outside looking in, but clearly, Gase has seen something to justify his lack of playing time. With that being said, expect Montgomery to have a new home in 2020.

Jets’ 4 least concerning positions entering the offseason

Here are the Jets’ least areas of concern entering the offseason.

While the Jets have their work cut out for them entering the offseason, there are a few positions they have locked down for next season.

The Jets are far from a finished product, but there is some hope with some parts of the roster. Safety, defensive line, inside linebackers and running back are areas where the Jets are perfectly fine at.

Here are the Jets’ least concerning positions entering this offseason.

Safety

AP Photo/Steven Senne

The Jets are locked into both their starting safeties for the next couple of years, so they don’t need to address that position.

Both Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye are entering their fourth year in the league and are two years away from being free agents. Adams and Maye are one of the best safety duos in the NFL, with Adams being arguably the top safety in the league.

New York should do whatever it takes to sign Adams to an extension as soon as possible. As for Maye, he had a strong year last season, but the Jets can wait a little bit before extending him.

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How did the Jets’ top free agent signings perform in 2019?

Here’s how the Jets’ top free agent signing did in their first year with the team.

The Jets were one of the league leaders in available cap space last offseason and they used that money to acquire a ton of big-name free agents.

During free agency last spring, the Jets spent $205.5 million on 12 players, including $119.6 million in guaranteed money. At the time, the Jets looked like they were upgrading their team, but some of those moves didn’t pan out in 2019. The top free agents the Jets signed last offseason included C.J. Mosley, Le’Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder, Ty Montgomery and Brian Poole.

Let’s take a look at how each of these five players fared in their first season with Gang Green.

C.J. Mosley

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

The Jets paid C.J. Mosley the largest contract ever for an inside linebacker (five-years, $85 million), but they didn’t get their money’s worth in the first year.

Mosley suited up for all of two games the entire season. He hit the ground running in Week 1 against the Bills with four total tackles, two pass defenses, an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. However, Mosley pulled his groin halfway through the game and missed the next four games. He returned in Week 7 against the Patriots and managed to play the whole game, but didn’t look like himself.

The Jets ended up placing Mosley on injured reserve, which ended his season. He is having surgery on his groin and the hope is to have him back in time for the team’s offseason program. While the Jets can still get valuable play out of Mosley in the coming years, his first year was pretty much over before it ever started.

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Jets vs. Ravens inactives: New York missing numerous starters against Baltimore

Jets vs. Ravens inactives for Thursday night football in Week 15.

If you thought the Jets were missing a lot of impact players against the Miami Dolphins in Week 14, think again.

New York will be without eight starters against the Ravens on Thursday night, as Jamal Adams, Quinnen Williams, Chuma Edoga, Brian Poole, Demaryius Thomas, Arthur Maulet, Kyron Brown and Ryan Griffin are all out against Baltimore due to injuries. Brown (quad) was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Monday after making his first career start against Miami, while Griffin (ankle) became the latest Jet to hit IR on Thursday. In a corresponding move to fill Griffin’s roster spot, the Jets activated offensive lineman Brent Qvale off injured reserve.

Le’Veon Bell returns to the field against the Ravens after a bout with the flu that kept him out of action against the Dolphins, but Bilal Powell is out with an ankle injury and the flu. That leaves Bell and Ty Montgomery to shoulder the load for New York out of the backfield.

The Jets will also have Henry Anderson, Kelvin Beachum, Matthias Farley, Steve McLendon, Nathan Shepherd and Montgomery suited up in Week 15 despite all six players being listed as questionable leading up to the game. Whether or not any of the six can make an impact remains to be seen, but they are all required to dress New York is required to have a minimum of 46 players suited up.

As for the Ravens, they’ll be without starting offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, who sits due to a concussion. Tight end Mark Andrews and safety Andrew Levine will all play for Baltimore despite being listed as questionable entering Thursday.